Burke David. The Slangman Guide to Street Speak Volume 2
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the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO STREET SPEAK 2
1. Bill’s health has been going downhill. I hope he gets
better soon!
2. Ted has been rich all his life. He has it made.
3. My houseguest is eating me out of house and
home!
4. Ernie is calm now, but I think he’s in for a shocker.
5. I’m a nervous wreck today. I just can’t relax.
6. I have to beat it or I’m going to be late for the movie.
7. If I have just one beer, I’ll get plastered.
8. I’m starving. Let’s go wolf down a hamburger before
the movie.
9. Tom has a huge appetite. At the restaurant, he ordered
everything but the kitchen sink!
10. I’m exhausted. I’m going home to crash.
A. has an easy life
B. an overanxious person
C. eat quickly
D. leave quickly
E. collapse
F. going to be surprised
G. everything imaginable
H. getting worse
I. extremely drunk
J. eating everything I have
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Lesson 3 • HOUSEGUEST
Cecily: How is it going with your houseguest?
Lee: It’s going downhill. Every day he crashes in front of the television for hours. All he
ever does is sleep and eat us out of house and home. You should have seen the
sandwich he wolfed down this morning. He put everything on it but the
kitchen sink. He has it made here.
Cecily: Why don’t you just tell him to beat it?
Lee: He was my roommate in college and it’s only for another two days. I just hope that
I don’t turn into a nervous wreck by the time he leaves. He even came home
plastered last night.
Cecily: Maybe you should just lock the front door so he can’t come back in! Wouldn’t he be
in for a shocker?!
The words introduced on the first two pages are used in the
dialogue below. See if you can understand the conversation.
Note: The translation of the words in boldface is on the right-
hand page.
A. DIALOGUE USING SLANG & IDIOMS
CD-a: track 11
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the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO STREET SPEAK 2
Cecily: How is it going with your houseguest?
Lee: It’s getting worse. Every day he collapses in front of the television for hours. All he
ever does is sleep and eat everything I have. You should have seen the sandwich
he ate this morning. He put everything imaginable on it. He has an easy life
here.
Cecily: Why don’t you just tell him to leave immediately?
Lee: He was my roommate in college and it’s only for another two days. I just hope that
I don’t turn into an overanxious person by the time he leaves. He even came home
extremely drunk last night.
Cecily: Maybe you should just lock the front door so he can’t come back in! Wouldn’t that
give him a surprise?!
LET’S SEE HOW MUCH YOU REMEMBER!
Just for fun, bounce around in random order to the words
and expressions in boldface below. See if you can remember
their slang equivalents without looking at the left-hand page!
B. DIALOGUE translated INto STANDARD ENGLISH
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Lesson 3 • HOUSEGUEST
Cecily: How’s it going with yer houseguest?
Lee: It’s going downhill. Ev’ry day ’e crashes ’n fronna the TV fer hours. All ’e ever does
is sleep ’n ead us oudda house ’n home. You should’a seen the sandwich ’e wolf’
down this morning. He pud ev’rything on it b’t the kitchen sink. He has it
made here.
Cecily: Why doncha jus’ tell ’im da beat it?
Lee: He w’z my roommate ’n college an’ it’s only fer another two days. I just hope thad
I don’t turn into a nervous wreck by the time ’e leaves. He even came home
plasdered las’ night.
Cecily: Maybe you should jus’ lock the front door so ’e can’t come back in! Wouldn’t ’e be
in fer a shocker?!
beat it (to) v. to leave quickly.
example: Our airplane leaves in ten minutes. We’d better beat it!
translation: Our airplane leaves in ten minutes. We’d better leave
quickly!
“real spEAK:” Are plane leaves ’n ten minutes. We ’better bead it!
Synonym 1: get going (to) exp.
Synonym 2: get out of here (to) exp.
Synonym 3: hit the road (to) exp.
Synonym 4: scram (to) v.
Synonym 5: split (to) v.
NOW YOU DO IT. COMPLETE THE PHRASE ALOUD:
I have to beat it or I’ll be late for…
C. DIALOGUE USING “REAL SPEAK”
The dialogue below demonstrates how the slang conversation
on the previous page would really be spoken by native speakers!
vocabulary
The following words and expressions were used in the previous
dialogues. Let’s take a closer look at what they mean.
CD-a: track 12
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the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO STREET SPEAK 2
crash (to) v. to collapse (since “crashing” refers to a hard impact as would happen when someone
who is extremely tired falls into bed, on the couch, into a chair, etc.).
example: All the hotels in the city are full. I need to find a place to
crash tonight!
translation: All the hotels in the city are full. I need to find a place to
collapse tonight!
“real spEAK:” All the hotels ’n the cidy’er full. I need da find a place ta
crash tanight!
Also 1: catch some Z’s (to) exp. (originated because in comic
books, a series of “Z’s” are shown over a character’s head
to indicate sleep).
Also 2: get some shut-eye (to) exp.
Also 3: sack out (to) exp.
NOW YOU DO IT. COMPLETE THE PHRASE ALOUD:
I need to crash for a while before I go to…
downhill (to go) exp. to get worse.
example: I’m afraid Tina’s health isn’t improving. It keeps going
downhill.
translation: I’m afraid Tina’s health isn’t improving. It keeps getting
worse.
“real spEAK:” I’m afraid Tina’s health isn’t improving. It keeps going
downhill.
Synonym 1: down the toilet (to go) exp.
Synonym 2: down the tubes (to go) exp. (Here, “tubes” represents
“plumbing”).
NOW YOU DO IT. COMPLETE THE PHRASE ALOUD:
… has been going downhill since…
eat someone out of house and home (to) exp. to eat everything someone has.
example: Tina and Bruce have a daughter who eats constantly.
She’s eating them out of house and home!
translation: Tina and Bruce have a daughter who eats constantly.
She’s eating to the point where they’re going to
have nothing left!
“real spEAK:” Tina ’n Bruce have a dawder who eats constantly. She’s
eating ’em oudda house ’n home!
Synonym: eat someone into the poorhouse (to) exp.
NOW YOU DO IT. COMPLETE THE PHRASE ALOUD:
… is eating his family out of house and home!
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Lesson 3 • HOUSEGUEST
everything but the kitchen sink exp. everything and anything.
example: You should have seen all the items Don bought at the
store. He bought everything but the kitchen sink!
translation: You should have seen all the items Don bought at the
store. He bought everything and anything!
“real spEAK:” You should’ve seen all the items Don bawd ’it the store. He
bawd ev’rything b’t the kitchen sink!
NOW YOU DO IT. COMPLETE THE PHRASE ALOUD:
...ate everything but the kitchen sink!
have it made (to) exp. to have an easy life.
example: Stan’s parents buy him anything he wants because they’re
so rich. He sure has it made.
translation: Stan’s parents buy him anything he wants because they’re
so rich. He sure has an easy life.
“real spEAK:” Stan’s parents buy ’im anything ’e wants cuz they’re so
rich. He sher has it made.
Synonym: easy street (to be on) exp.
NOW YOU DO IT. COMPLETE THE PHRASE ALOUD:
...has it made because…
nervous wreck (to be a) n. to be extremely anxious.
example: I hope I win. The judges should have announced the
winner an hour ago. I’m a nervous wreck!
translation: I hope I win. The judges should have announced the
winner an hour ago. I’m extremely anxious!
“real spEAK:” I hope I win. The judges should’ve announced the winner
’n hour ago. I’m a nervous wreck!
Synonym 1: basket case (to be a) exp.
Synonym 2: bundle of nerves (to be a) exp.
Synonym 3: falling apart (to be) exp.
NOW YOU DO IT. COMPLETE THE PHRASE ALOUD:
I was a nervous wreck when…
plastered (to be) adj. to be extremely drunk.
example: If I drink one glass of vodka, I get plastered!
translation: If I drink one glass of vodka, I get extremely drunk!
“real spEAK:” If I drink one glass ’a vodka, I get plastered!
Synonyms: Since there is such a large number of synonyms for the
adjective “drunk,” I’ll list many of the most common ones
here: bombed, bombed out of one’s skull,
crocked, dead drunk, drunk as a skunk, feeling
no pain, hammered, ripped, roaring drunk,
sloshed, smashed, stinking drunk, etc.
NOW YOU DO IT. COMPLETE THE PHRASE ALOUD:
If you drink too much… you’ll get plastered!
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the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO STREET SPEAK 2
shocker (to be in for a) exp. to get a big surprise.
example: My children have really grown since you last saw them.
You’re in for a shocker!
translation: My children have really grown since you last saw them.
You’re about to be extremely surprised!
“real spEAK:” My children’ve really grown since you las’ saw th’m. Y’r
in fer a shocker!
Synonym 1: blown away (to be) exp.
Synonym 2: floored (to be) exp.
NOW YOU DO IT. COMPLETE THE PHRASE ALOUD:
You’re going to be in for a shocker when you…
wolf down something (to) exp. to eat something quickly.
example: I’m hungry. I think we have some time to wolf down
a sandwich before we leave.
translation: I’m hungry. I think we have some time to eat a sandwich
quickly before we leave.
“real spEAK:” I’m hungry. I think we have some time ta wolf down
a sandwich before we leave.
Synonyms: polish off (to), power down (to), scarf down
(to), thrown down (to), chow down (to), etc.
NOW YOU DO IT. COMPLETE THE PHRASE ALOUD:
I only have ten minutes to wolf down this…
A. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? (Answers on p. 220)
Choose the correct definition of the words in boldface.
1. a shocker: a surprise good news
2. to be a nervous wreck: extremely nervous extremely happy
3. to beat it: to die to leave quickly
4. to go downhill: to get worse to get stronger
5. everything but the kitchen sink: everything imaginable nothing at all
6. to have it made: to have an easy life to have a hard life
7. to crash: to laugh to collapse
8. plastered: extremely drunk very scared
9. to eat someone out of house and home: to eat everything to eat very little
10. to wolf down something: to eat quickly to eat slowly
CD-a: track 13
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Lesson 3 • HOUSEGUEST
B. COMPLETE THE FAIRY TALE
(Answers on p. 220)
Fill in the blanks by choosing the correct
words from the list below. Note that two extra
words are in the list from the previous lesson!
CD-a: track 14
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the SLANGMAN GUIDE TO STREET SPEAK 2
c. CONTEXT EXERCISE (Answers on p. 220)
Look at the phrase in the left column, then find the best
match in the right column. Write the appropriate letter
in the box.
1. Have you seen Bob? He doesn’t look
very well.
2. Tony thinks he passed the history test
but I just found out that he failed! He
has no idea because he wasn’t in
school today.
3. Why are you following me
everywhere?!
4. I’m exhausted.
5. I’m so hungry! I’m going to order a
hamburger, fries, salad, onion rings,
milk shake, chicken sandwich, and
dessert.
6. My husband is two hours late coming
home and he hasn’t called!
7. I’ve never seen anyone eat so fast!
8. You’re in no condition to drive!
9. Our houseguests eat constantly!
I hope they leave soon!
10. Ron’s parents are extremely rich and
pay for anything he wants.
A. Are you serious? You’re going to eat
everything but the kitchen sink!
B. Beat it!
C. I’m a nervous wreck!
D. I know. His health has been going
downhill for a week.
E. He wolfed down that pie in about a
minute!
F. They’re eating us out of house
and home!
G. He has it made.
H. You’re plastered!
I. I’m going to go home and crash for a
while.
J. When he gets back, he’s in for a
shocker.
CD-a: track 15
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Lesson 3 • HOUSEGUEST
Cecily: How is it going with your houseguest?
Lee: It’s going ________________________. Every day he _________________ in front of the
television for hours. All he ever does is sleep and eat us out of ____________________. You
should have seen the sandwich he ______________ down this morning. He put everything
on it but the ____________________. He has it ______________ here.
Cecily: Why don’t you just tell him to ________________?
Lee: He was my roommate in college and it’s only for another two days. I just hope that I don’t
turn into a nervous ____________________ by the time he leaves. He even came home
late last night totally ________________________!
Cecily: Maybe you should just lock the front door so he can’t come back in! Wouldn’t he be in for
a _______________________?!
D. COMPLETE THE PHRASE (Answers on p. 220)
Complete the opening dialogue using the list below. Try not
to look at the dialogue at the beginning of the lesson until
you’re done!
shocker
made
beat it
wreck
crashes
kitchen sink
plastered
downhill
wolfed
house and home